Music-sheet turner.



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P. LOWE.

- MUSIC SHEET TURNER.

APPLICATION rILEDvDEc. 12. 1906.

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NITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK LOWE, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOMICHAEL H. BARRY, OF DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS.

MUSIC-SHEET TURNER.

This invention relates to music sheet turners.

More particularly, it relates to devices intended to be used inconnection with a book or sheets of music upon a piano, or a music rest,by the operation of which a page of music may be turned by the player bysimply touching a lever with his finger or foot. In the device hereshown pages may be turned in either direction by touching a key.

One form of device embodying the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 represents in perspective the apparatusapplied to a book of music. Fig. 2 is a plan view in section on the line2-2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an elevation in section, the section in thelower art being taken on the line 8-3 of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a sectionalplan on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan on the line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3. Fig.7 is an enlarged representation of the end portion of one of the musicturning arms shown in front elevation. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of adetail, with a part represented as broken away.

Referring to the drawings: 1() represents a leaf or a sheet of music,which may be clasped by spring fingers 11 mounted on swinging arms 12,13, 14 and 15, which are similar in construction but are designated bydifferentv numerals for clearness in description. Any desired number ofthese arms may be provided. All of them are pivotally mounted, one abovethe other, on a counter shaft 16, and each of them has at that point apinion 12, 13', 14 and 15 arranged to mesh respectively in quadrants 12,13, 14 and 15 mounted on a rotatable vertical shaft 17. The hubs ofthese quadrants are splined to the shaft and are adjustable up or downto any desired position, and may be fastened in position by a set screw19, which clamps a stationary rear upright bar 20, all the arts thusdescribed as movable on shaft 17 eing inclosed in a casing 21 from whichscrew 19 projects through slot 18. The quadrants are arranged on thisrotating shaft in the position Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed December 12, 190s.

Patented April 28, 1908.

Serial No. 347,436.

indicated in Figs. 2 and 23, and bear the relation to the pinions thereindicated, in which during a complete rotation of the shaft thequadrants successively come into engagement, each with its properpinion, the movement of a quadrant from its beginning to its end pastthe medial line causing a nearly complete half revolution of the pinion;for example, the quadrant 14 has just come into engagement with itspinion 14 in Fig. 2, and when it moves a quarter revolution in thedirection of the arrow it will cause the pinion to rotate a halfrevolution in the opposite direction, thus throwing the arm 14, which isattached to page 10, through a'half revolution and turning the page. Thequarter rotation of the shaft which caused this turning has brought thequadrant 15 to the position which quadrant 14 occupies in Fig. 2, readyto engage and turn pinion 15 and arm 15 when the shaft is next given aquarter revolution. By referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that thequadrants are spaced vertically suitable distances apart, so that eachquad# rant meshes with one pinion and no other, and therefore is out ofmesh three-fourths of the time. Although the apparatus is here shown asit may be used to turn four sheets of music in succession, it will beobvious that by suitable changes in the number and proportion of theparts described it might be made to turn any desired number of sheets.When operated in the reverse direction the same actions take placereversely.

The operation of the foregoing mechanism is effected by givingsuccessive quarter revolutions in the desired direction to the shaft 17.This shaft is journaled at the top in piece 22 and at the bottom in thebase of the apparatus, and may conveniently be held in place by a screw23 having a flanged head. At the lower part of the shaft a hood 24encircles the same and is rigidly attached in any convenient method,indicated in the drawing by a pin 25. This incloses and protects atorsional spring 26, one end of which, being hooked into the hood andthe other into the stationary part 27, tends to rotate the hood andattached shaft in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 4, which isthe direction for turning leaves under normal condition as oneprogresses from page to page. Such rotation is prevented byspringpressed pins 28, carried by the hood, each of which when oppositea depression 29 inthe stationary part of the base is forced therein,

and constitutes a latch, locking the shaft against rotation underinfluence of spring 26. Such pin may be raised, thus releasing the shaftand allowing it to rotate under said influence by depressing key 30,which, acting through a lever 31, raises releasing-pin 32, forcing pin28 upward and thus unlatching hood 24. Said releasing pin is normallymaintained retracted and inactive by its spring 33. There are four ofthe latch pins 28, and each engages in the notch or depression 29 uponreaching it. Thus, the shaft17 turns but one-fourth revolution each timeit is released by a momentary depression of key 30.

The mechanism for turning pages in reverse direction is as follows: In acavity within the base 27 is a clutch in the form of a two-part sleeve,having one member 35 slidably but not rotatably mounted on shaft 17,with teeth or serrations pointed downward toward the opposing member 36,which is mounted below it loosely on the shaft and has similarserrations pointed upward to engage as a clutch, A spring 37 is attachedat one end to the member 36 and tends to rotate it in the oppositedirection from the rotative effect of spring 26, having its other-endattached to a ratchet disk 3S (see Fig. 6) which may be rotated in onedirection to wind the spring by a lever and pawl 39, but is always heldagainst reverse rotation by a 'pawl 40. Clutch member 36 rests upon astationary sleeve 45 which also forms a socket for shaft 17, whichsleeve has an upper cam surface 42 bearing against a similar surface onclutch member 36 so formed that when the clutch member rotates thereonit rises, moving in the axial direction of the shaft, in order to passover the high places of the cam. In so doing it engages the opposing`teeth of clutch member 35 and rotates them, this member being held insuitable position by a spring 43; and this rotates shaft 17 in thereverse direction from that in which it is rotated by spring 26.Normally, clutch member 36 is locked against rotation by a latch 44 (seeFig. 5) which may be released by the operator by depressing lever 45.Then thus released the latch 44 is withdrawn from the ratchet teeth 46on the periphery of clutch member 36. This allows spring 37 to rotateclutch 36, during which operation the clutch member 36 is raised by thecam 42 into engagement with the opposing clutch member 35, and thusrotates the shaft 17. This rotation continues as long as the latch 44remains disengaged, and in so doing spring 26 is wound, this springbeing weaker than spring 37, the pins 28 sliding up an inclined surface47 (seen dotted in elevation in Fig. 3 and in plan in Fig. 4) out of thenotch V29. This is the motion for turning leaves in the reversedirection, as, for example, re-turning de capo. If it is desired tore-turn but a single page that may be effected by touching lever 45 onlyinstantaneously. In such case it will engage the very next tooth 46.

Another feature of the invention consists in the separation of the teethon ratchet 46 at greater angular distances than the separation of thepins 28. Thus, as represented in Fig. 5, the teeth are 120 degreesapart, while the pins 28, shown in these drawings, are 90 degrees apart.The difference is allowed for the rotation which takes place whileclutch member 36 is rising into engagement and fallingaway therefrom,leaving an active period of engagement sufficient to rotate the hood andpins the desired 9() degrees.

In operation, the spring 37 is first wound by means of the ratchet lever39, and the spring 26 is then wound by depressing lever 45; and theapparatus is then ready for use. Each time lever 30 is depressed themusic is turned one page forward. By depressing lever 45 momentarily themusic will be turned one page backward, incidentally rewinding spring 26correspondingly, in order to turn forward over the same page, bydepressing lever 30 when ready. A return to the' very beginning may bemade simply by holding lever 45 depressed.

The spring 37 is preferably made of large capacity so that one windingwill suffice for a long time, even larger than the requirements ofclearness have permitted in the drawing.

Other variations from the specific embodiment of the invention hereshown may be made within the scope of the invention, as will naturallyoccur to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a driving shaft; aseries of pivoted arms; mechanism engaged between the shaft and the armswhereby the arms are moved successively by said shaft; means pressingthe shaft continuously in one direction; a latch restraining thismovement; and means to operate the shaft in the opposite direction.

2. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a series of arms; ashaft mounted rotatably and having means whereby it engages the armssuccessively; means pressing the shaft continuously in one direction ofrotation; a latch restraining its movement; and means to drive the shaftin opposite direction.

3.l Apparatus of the class described, comprising a driving shaft; aseries of arms and means whereby they are moved successively by saidshaft; two springs acting in opposed directions and each arranged toengage and aetuate said shaft and means to throw the shaft under controlof either s ring.

4. Apparatus of the class escribed, comprising a series of arms; ashaft, and means whereby it actuates them successively; springs arrangedto engage and operate the shaft in opposite directions, one spring beingj andbeingnormally disengaged; alatchblocking the unwinding movement ofeach spring; and a release key for each latch.

6. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a shaft; a series ofarms and means whereby they are actuated successively by said shaft;means pressing the shaft in one direction of rotation, there being astationary part having a shoulder, and there being a multiplicity ofpawls carried by the shaft, one for each stationary position thereof,arranged to engage said shoulder successively;

there being a movable pin in front of said shoulder for disengaging thepawls.

7. Apparatus of the class described, comprisinv a shaft; a series ofarms and means whereby they are driven successively by said shaft; anactuating spring permanently connected to the shaft; a stronger spring,opposed and normally disconnected; and means whereby the stronger springengages and moves the shaft, thereby winding the first spring whileactuating the shaft and arms in reverse direction.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a rotary driving shaft; arms,and means whereby they are moved successively by the shaft; an actuatingspring therefor; and connections between the shaft and spring,comprising a clutch face non-rotatable on the shaft; and an adjacentsleeve loose on the shaft, having anopposing clutch face and a cam forthrowing the same axially; the spring being connected between saidsleeve and a stationary part; and a latch for the sleeve, the sleeveengaging the shaft through the clutch when rotated.

9. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a rotary driving shaftand means to stop its rotation in forward direction at iiXed intervals;arms and means whereby they are moved successively by the shaft; asleeve normally loose on the shaft; means to drive it in the reversedirection and to latch it at intervals exceeding said forward periods;there being a clutch, and a cam for projecting the sleeve and shaft intoclutch when the latch is released.

10. Apparatus of the class described, comprising swinging arms; a shaftand means whereby it swings the same; and a carriage for supporting thearms, adjustable to various positions on the shaft.

11. Apparatus of the class described, comrising swinging arms; a rotarydriving shaft; there being a counter shaft parallel thereto on which thearms are mounted; a movable carriage supporting the arms; and gearinghaving a member movable with the carriage, splined to the shaft, formingthe connection for engagement of the shaft'with the arms.

12. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a series of arms; ashaft mounted rotatably, there being means whereby it actuates the armssuccessively; springs tending to rotate the shaft in oppositedirections,

each having` a latch normally restraining movement in the forwarddirection of its spring but not in the' reverse direction; and means tounlatch either s ring.

13. Apparatus of the c ass described, comprising a series of swingingarms adapted to turn pages; a driving shaft connected there with; a hoodupon the shaft, there being a forward driving spring and latchesinclosed therein; a reverse driving spring and a sleeve driven therebysurrounding the shaft; alatch normally restraining this spring; andmeans for engagement with the shaft upon its release. 14. In apparatusof the class described, a drivin shaft; a driving spring therefor; a andlatc es normally restraining movement, comprising latch pins setparallel to the axis of the shaft and rotatable therewith; a stationarypart, having a notch to be engaged by the pins and a releasing pin forejecting said latch pins from the notch,

In testimony whereof l hereto afiiX my signature, in presence of twowitnesses at Boston this ninth day of November, 1906.

FREDERICK LOWE. Witnesses:

